Category: General Health

Cold and flu viruses are extremely common, and most of us come down with something every now and again, especially in winter. It can be frustrating when you’re stuck with an infection that you know will eventually go away by itself, but there isn’t normally much you can do in the short term. However, we do have some tips on managing your symptoms and minimising your discomfort and risk levels.

1) Understand what you’re suffering with

Nine times out of ten, an unexplained cold is down to a viral infection. Bacterial infections that present similar symptoms are rather unusual, so taking antibiotics is hardly ever the right course of action unless your doctor prescribes them. If you look for clues that your infection is viral, and you know where it is in your body to begin with, you can figure out what to expect in the coming days.

2) Anticipate your symptoms

That’s the next step, and it will help you stay on top of your illness. Headaches and an uncomfortable throat usually come first with a cold. In a couple of days a sore throat will usually get worse before easing off, and congestion normally becomes your main concern. After a few days you will probably reach your lowest level of energy as your body focuses on fighting the infection by producing mucus and coughing. Commonly the cough is the last thing to leave, and taking three weeks to get over it is not unusual.

Finding time in a busy schedule for a long exercise routine can be exhausting enough, even just once a week let alone every single day. Many people use this as an excuse to get out of working out altogether, but unfortunately this isn’t great for overall health and wellbeing. Fortunately it’s not too difficult to fit your exercise into your daily routine without ever having to stop working! Here are some of our top tips.

The majority of adults enjoy a regular drink, and for many of us alcohol is a part of our routine that we may have stopped thinking about too hard. It’s easy to forget that alcohol is a drug, and alcoholic drinks contain other harmful substances as well as plenty of calories in most cases. Drinking carelessly can seriously hinder weight loss attempts and of course it can lead to a whole host of other problems. However, we have some great ideas to help you manage your drinking and stay relatively healthy.

1) Don’t drink on an empty stomach

Eat a healthy meal with plenty of fibre, protein and vegetables before you start drinking alcohol and this will help your body process it in a healthy way. Not only that, but you’re less likely to be hungry later and crave fatty foods.

Kidney diseases are extremely serious, although it is not rare for people to suffer from chronic problems with these vital organs. The kidneys process your blood to help regulate your blood pressure and allow it to take in oxygen while removing toxic substances. Complete kidney failure is almost always fatal, although this is usually pre-empted by a diagnosis of an ongoing kidney problem. An early diagnosis can help you look after your kidneys, but the symptoms and signs can be hard to spot and you might put them down to a completely different condition.

Diabetes and blood pressure are the most common issues that can later lead to kidney problems, so it’s important to understand and monitor these. Be aware of your family history with these kinds of conditions, and try to maintain a healthy diet with minimal salt and sugar along with getting regular exercise. If you think you are at risk you should ask your doctor for advice, but here are some signs to watch out for which not everyone realises are connected to kidney problems.